We check in with people at each stage of the cash transfer process to see how things are going. Take a look at some of their stories as they appear here in real-time.
Learn more about how recipients opt in to share their stories.

Stages:

Enrollment

attach_money

Transfers

check

Completed

to follow someone and stay updated on their journey with GiveDirectly.

My life is currently different from the way it was four months ago in that I'm now happy and independent. This has greatly reduced conflicts between me and my spouse. We used to argue a lot because my husband felt I was a burden. I didn't have a reliable source of income thus I had to rely on him for everything. He reached a point he got tired and frustrated about everything. I am glad all these have reduced and we are now a happy family. Nowadays we can sit together and make plans as a family.

Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?

Currently, I'm in the process of cultivating and plowing my farm. Most of the money I'll be receiving from Give Directly will be directed towards paying of labor and purchasing of farm inputs. Therefore, for the next four months, I am planning to save my transfers to ensure I have enough money. This will help me to successfully carry out all the stages of planting and harvesting my plants.

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.

The last four months were the toughest months of my life. This was the period when I didn't get a good harvest so I had to work hard and ensure I had enough food for my family. I'm glad through the transfers I got from Give Directly I was able to buy enough sacks of maize that would last us up to the next planting season. I have also saved some money that will be helping during the plowing process thus I will avoid the challenges that led to the low harvest that I experienced last season.

How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?

Currently, I rely on farming as the main source of income but whatever I get from it is spent on food for the family. I'm, therefore, planning to start a business. In the next six months, I will be saving the transfers from GiveDirectly and ensure that I have enough capital to help me start a meaningful business that will supplement what I am already getting from farm produce.

16th Payment

Transfer Amount

2280 KES ($22 USD)

access_time 2 months ago

attach_money

How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?

Having a business and a stable source income has given me a great sense of independence which I am really enjoying. The fact that I can have money for the basic requirements in the house without having to beg my husband for money is the greatest feeling I have ever had. The business has also kept me busy and given me less time to idle around.

Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?

I know that the transfers will soon come to an end and I wish to make sure that my business is stable by then, therefore, I will use my transfers from the following month to boost it by adding more stock and bringing in more products that I currently don't sell. This is to ensure that after the transfers are over, I don't go back to my previous life of languishing in poverty without any decent meals and always having to wait on my husband to provide for the family.

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.

With the help of these transfers, I was able to start a small business which can now provide me with a daily income to support my family without having to solely depend on my husband. Before that, I always looked up to my husband to provide for daily needs which was quite frustrating because he felt that the money I received monthly from GD would be enough to take care of the family needs for the whole month which was not the case.

How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?

I have not yet managed to construct a shop to sell my products and am still using my house as the shop because they are not much and they still comfortably fit in my house. I expect that in the next six months, the business will have grown and produced enough profits to allow me to construct a shop in a more visible area where I can have more customers.

12th Payment

Transfer Amount

2280 KES ($23 USD)

access_time 6 months ago

attach_money

How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?

Currently, my life is different than it was before because, with the transfers, I have managed to acquire seeds and fertilizers from the one-acre fund in time which I shall use for my farming activities. Four months ago, I had little savings thus I did not use fertilizers, a situation that made me to get less harvest.

Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?

In the next four months, my additional goal is to build up my savings and spend them on starting up a new business. From the business, my household will be able to generate some income thus we shall be able to supplement our income. This will be a good investment in my life that will greatly support my family in the future.

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.

In the last four months preceding the current transfer, the biggest difference in my daily life is ploughing my piece of land on time. In the past, it could take me a long time to fully prepare my piece of land for planting. I, therefore, believe that from it, I shall be able to obtain a good harvest hence have sufficient food to sustain my family.

How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?

In the next six months, I expect to have a bumper harvest from my farm. I have prepared it on time and I believe that if there is adequate rain during this season, it will do well than it had done before. In addition, I expect to start up a shop from which I shall earn additional income for my household.

7th Payment

Transfer Amount

2280 KES ($22 USD)

access_time 10 months ago

attach_money

How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?

The difference is that I am capable of buying food easily without necessarily taking loan.

Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?

I have ni new goals.

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.

The biggest difference is that I am able to work on my projects without necessarily depending on my husband.

How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?

I the next six months I will have purchased several building materials towards building my family.

3rd Payment

Transfer Amount

2280 KES ($23 USD)

access_time over 1 year ago

attach_money

Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?

I have a new goal of starting up a retail business so that I can have a stable income since currently, I have been relying on farming.

How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?

My life is currently different from the way it would have been if I did not receive the money in that we now have peace in the family. This is because I no longer have to ask my spouse for money which was bringing a lot of conflicts between us especially when he did not have anything to offer.

How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?

In the next six months, I expect to have built my home because in our community it is a custom.

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.

The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving the money from GiveDirectly is that I'm now independent and I do not have to ask my spouse for money every time.

Enrolled

access_time over 1 year ago

What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?

My biggest hardship has been finding food for the family because we have faced long droughts which led to little harvests. The demand for cereals also went up causing prices to shoot as well.

What is the happiest part of your day?

I am always happy most part of my day unless I am hit hard by a stressful situation. Seeing my children play from morning to evening makes me happy even to forget the strains I face in life.

What are you planning to spend your transfer on?

I plan to spend my transfers towards making my own home to be independent from cultural limitations that hinder my decision making and development. I will also spend part of the transfers on farming during this rainy reasons so as to get harvest that will help feed my family.

What is the achievement you are proudest of?

My proudest achievement is in my farming which though is subsistent, seasonally provides food for my family atleast for some time before we run out of food.